What Fools These Mortals Be
by iEvenstarEstel
Summary: A postPotW fic, in which No. 10 does what's best for his companions. This story contains the 9th Doctor also.


What Fools These Mortals Be  
©2005 Evenstar

What fools these mortals be. A very intelligent and rather tortured man said that first. It wasn't Shakespeare, but the fellow he stole the line from. Puck was a dispossessed wanderer from the Faelingaard system about ten million light years from Earth. But that's another story. I sit here at the console to my TARDIS, alone and bereft because today Rose Tyler went home. I wasn't especially surprised as it had been coming on for weeks now. I'd come to my senses after that daft line about going to Barcelona, I took off my jacket and passed it to her. Her tears began immediately and it took all my strength not to enfold her in my arms and comfort her. Instead, I told her to mourn. A few days after that, I asked her if she wanted to go home. She immediately replied that she didn't, that her place was here with me no matter what.

We started in on a routine, going off on adventures, new planets, times through Earth's history. It was a lark, it was good. We were friends. Or so I thought. It took me a little time to see it, I've always been a bit dim when it comes to reading human emotions that aren't glaringly obvious. She was so hurt, angry and grief stricken that I mistook her enthusiasm for our time together with my new self as her seizing the day. All the while she was suffering. Her heart was broken in two, her other half was missing and no matter how wonderful we could have been, it was my previous self that she loved, wanted, needed. Doesn't say much for the notion of soulmates, does it? Or maybe it does...

When finally she fell apart, her post-traumatic syndrome finally reaching it's climax, she beat upon me with weak fists, screams and accusations. I wasn't him, I'd never be him and she'd have preferred I'd stayed dead rather than walk around haunting her like a specter. She could still stir me up, even now that I wasn't the brooding, war torn, lone traveller that she'd fallen for. In the end she lay sobbing in my arms, allowing me to hold her and speak soothing words to her. Fool that I am, a fool for her love, I told her I'd make it right. You see, not only did I retain the memories of the man I'd been, I retained one other part of him. His deep, abiding, faithful love for this silly little ape. I'd never tell her of course, that would be cruel. Besides, I'm a coward - but only when it comes to the really important stuff.

We didn't speak again of her breakdown. But I remembered my promise. I'm mortal afterall, despite the many times I've cheated death. And I'm a crazy bugger on the best of days. I'll play the fool then and keep my promise to the woman I love.

And to do that I needed the help of only one man in all the universe. Captain Jack Harkness.

I told Rose that I thought she needed a little break, making all sorts of promises that I wouldn't abandon her. Just a weekend with her mum, nothing more. I'd be back for her on the Monday. I don't think she believed me. Doesn't matter, because she'll forget this in a flash if all goes according to plan. My plans tended to work out, more often than not, I'm quite proud to say. But this one was risky. But who better to have as your right hand man than a former intergalactic conman turned hero and best friend? I said my goodbyes to Rose and boldly pressed a kiss to her forehead. I thought I saw a flash of recognition there in her eyes. I wondered if on some level she remembered our first kiss. If I could send messages back in time like she did, I'd have told myself to kiss Rose Tyler as often as possible.

With great trepidation I returned the TARDIS to the gamestation over two-hundred thousand years in the future, not too long after Rose and my former self had left. I knew what to expect - dead bodies littering the floors, the constructed Delta Wave ready for detonation and the dust of the exterminated Dalek race. But what I didn't expect was the instant pounding on the TARDIS doors and a voice calling out my name. Before I could reach the door, Jack had managed to retrieve his key and open it. I met him halfway and was wrapped up in a fierce hug, the air being pushed out of my lungs by the force of his strong arms.

"I knew it! I knew you guys wouldn't just leave me!" Jack exclaimed.

"Er, Jack, ol' boy, there's something I need to tell you," I choked out, trying to bring air into my compressed lungs. The sound of my voice naturally surprised him and I was released. My friend stumbled back, eyes wide with shock.

I gave him a wave and a grin,"Hello!"

"What the...? Where's Rose?" I walked past Jack and closed the door to the ship, just in case.

"Rose is home safe with her mum. Jack, what do you know about Time Lord mythology? Ever heard anything about regeneration?"

He was stunned, and I could practically see his mind making the connections. A smile lit up his face when he knew the truth. "Doctor?"

"In the flesh, albeit different flesh. At lot has happened Jack. I suggest we get a bottle of the Alvarian whiskey I've been hiding and find ourselves a nice corner of the TARDIS to get sloshed in. I have a plan."

"What kind of plan?"

"A plan to put things right. I hope you weren't waiting too long."

"I'd just seen the TARDIS disappear...I thought you'd left me."

I walked up to him and put my arm around his shoulder. "In my defense, Captain, I was coming back here to find your body so I'd know where to bring in the TARDIS in time to save you. You _were_ dead you know?"

Jack started, remembering. "Dead..."

"As a door nail. I'll explain, we'll get our drinks and I'll tell you a story about Little Rose and the big Bad Wolf."

Fifty-first century men were quite open with their sexuality and with their emotions too it seemed. Jack wasn't curled in a fetal ball blubbering away in the corner like a dejected child, but when I told him in glorious detail of Rose's heroics and the frankly smashing culmination of our months of longing, then of course my regeneration - I had the Captain in tears. Of course we'd already finished off one and a half bottles of the whiskey between us. I was crying too.

A few hours later when we'd sobered up, I explained what we were going to do. A few hours after that, we returned to the scene of my death. The TARDIS materialized inside the lift resting at floor five hundred. The door to the lift opened and there they were, Rose and my former self. The Daleks were already gone. He asked her to come to him and I pushed Jack out of the TARDIS. He ran like the Devil was on his heals. I followed, heading straight for Rose.

Jack tackled the Doctor away just has he was about to kiss her. Seemed a bit unfair that I should get both the first and the second kiss, poor bugger. But my guilt quickly evaporated, he was going to have sixty years at least of snogging that girl. Or longer if he took her to the Earth colony on Halcyon 7 where as it turns out there's a fountain of eternal youth. One sip and she'd be set up a few centuries at least. Damn, should've mentioned that to Jack. Ah well, no time for it now. Got a girl to rescue.

The Doctor and Jack were struggling against each other, throwing punches and wrestling. My counterpart was calling for Rose, just her name, he couldn't find any other words. I stepped up to my glorious angel, guiding her to look away from her love and to me. "I hope you don't mind me cutting in," I said. Time had almost run out for Rose Tyler, so I dispensed with the quips and pressed my lips to hers. The energy of the Time Vortex flowed from her and into me. So this was what courage felt like. Stung a bit.

I guided her to the ground, at which point the other Doctor was free and rushing towards us. I staggered back,"Don't touch me!" I yelled,"Paradoxes, Doctor! And you've got to take care of her." I locked eyes with him, mine glowing with the power of the vortex coursing through me. "Jack?"

"Yeah?" said the Captain.

"Thanks for the drink, and the help. Don't forget about me."

"Never could, Doc!" I flashed him a grin, then winced, the power becoming a little too much for my body to handle. It would be over soon and it would be as if I'd never existed.

I looked to Jack. "Before I go, Captain, you should know - I think you're fantastic. Absolutely fantastic! And so does he!" I pointed at the Doctor, who held the unconscious Rose in his arms. I turned towards the TARDIS from which Rose had emerged and with an exhale and a force of will, I released the essence of the vortex back into the heart of the ship. It was over. I faded from existence as the time line was reset. It was a short life, granted, but I'd get another chance someday. And maybe, if I was lucky, Rose _and _Jack would be there to greet me.

"_You_, have some serious explaining to do, Captain Jack Harkness," The Doctor seethed, picking Rose up off the floor of the broadcast room, heading towards the TARDIS. Jack followed, a smile painted on his face. Any moment now his newly resurrected self would be coming around the corner in time to see the ship fade away. The irony that he hadn't been left behind afterall made his grin widen. The other TARDIS was gone from the lift and in a moment so would this one. Jack closed the police box's door behind him as the Doctor lay Rose on the console room's grated flooring. With a hard look on his face the Doctor got the TARDIS up and running.

The Doctor turned on Jack, demanding an explanation, but Jack cut him off. "Doctor, I'm going to go find us those two bottles Alvarian whiskey you keep hidden in the third drawer of your wardrobe..."

"How did you know about those?" he replied, a little shocked.

"Nevermind. I'll be waiting in the billiard room until you're ready."

"Jack, who was that man?"

"And here I thought you were so impressive! Do me a favor, when she wakes up, tell her you love her and kiss her, kiss her good and proper and then tell her you love her again. I'll have three glasses just in case she wants to hear it too. And for the record, you're really cute when you're confused."

"I'm not!"

"Which, confused or cute?"

"Neither! Both! Jack?" The Captain couldn't stop smiling as he walked away, letting out a yelp of joy and patting the wall of the TARDIS.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, feeling a headache coming on. Rather than sulk over being out of the loop about the odd events that had just occurred, he sat down on the floor and wrapped Rose up in his arms. She began to stir, subconsciously leaning into him.

"Mmmm? Doctor?" she mumbled, slowly opening her eyes and looking up at his loving face.

"Welcome back," answered the Doctor.

"What's happened? I was at home...no, I was in the TARDIS, there was a light...was Jack there? I thought Jack was there."

"He's here alright. I think our Captain Jack's gone and had an adventure without us."

"I don't understand."

"S'alright, neither do I." The Doctor's hand was stroking her hair and when she noticed the sensation, his face grew pensive, serious.

"What?" She wrapped her hand around the leather collar of his jacket, pulling him a little closer.

"If what I'm about to do makes everything go all pear shaped, it's Jack's fault, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, but what..." He surprised her by pressing his lips down upon hers. She make a slight cry of surprise before she let the wonderful feeling warm her through to the bone. Her lips parted, inviting him inside as their tongues curled around each other, deepening their kiss. After what seemed and eternity of enjoying the rippling sensations of emotion and fulfillment course through them, the Doctor pulled back.

"Well?"

Rose licked her lips, tasting him and smiled. "You're really good at that."

"I'm a bit out of practice."

"I couldn't tell."

"Oh, well, that's good then. I suppose this would be an opportune time to tell you that I'm completely in love with you, wouldn't it?" Rose did a double take, glad she was still laying down as she suddenly felt rather light headed.

"Could you go over that last bit again for me?"

"I love you, Rose Tyler." From a distance Jack's voice shouting out _BARCELONA! _could be heard, echoing throughout the TARDIS. "God, I'm gonna kill him. He's smug about _something._" The Doctor's body went lax as he lay himself down next to Rose, still holding her to him. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Um...I'm still dwelling on the fact that you just told me you love me. You love me?"

"Yes, very much. Head still a bit foggy?" She nodded, utterly perplexed. "So, um, if I might be so bold as to ask..."

She patted his chest and pressed her lips to his jaw. "Relax, I love you too, Doctor."

"Oh, well, that works out nicely then." Rose pulled the Doctor up with her as she got to her feet. He pulled her into another embrace, which quickly became quite passionate. He backed her up against the console, his hands wandering all over her body. The TARDIS gave a soft groan and the pair of them both had the distinct impression the ship was speaking to them.

"What was that about Barcelona?" Rose asked. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Dunno...but you're right...bit like deja vu but without the vu or the deja."

"Huh." The Doctor shrugged, then took Rose by the hand.

"C'mon, let's go see what that Captain of ours has to say. Then, I'm gonna take you..."

"To Barcelona?"

"Pfft, don't be daft. Who wants to go to Barcelona? No, I'm going to take you to bed, Rose Tyler."

"Are you now? Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?"

He pulled her close and nuzzled her neck. "I am. For the first time in a very very long time I'm sure."

The End


End file.
